Wooden vent covers with fixed vanes which each have parallel major vane surfaces are known. In one known form of wooden vent cover, major vane surfaces are all oriented at twenty-seven and one-half degree (27½°) in either direction from vertical when the vent cover is positioned in a horizontal orientation. Thus, these vane surfaces are either at sixty-two and one-half degrees (62½°) or one hundred and seventeen and one-half degrees (117½°) from horizontal. Rectangular vent covers of this construction are known with all of the vanes positioned at the same angle. In another known form, the vent cover defines side-by-side rectangular openings at either side of a central divider. A first set of vanes which have major surfaces at twenty-seven and one-half degrees (27½°) in a first direction from vertical are supported in one of the side-by-side openings. In addition, a second set of vanes are supported in the other of the side-by-side openings with their major vane surfaces oriented at twenty-seven and one-half (27-½°) degrees in the opposite direction from vertical.
Stamped metal vent covers are also known which have vanes with major surfaces at an angle which varies moving from the center of the vent cover to the ends of the vent cover. For example, with the vent cover in a horizontal orientation, these vanes may have major vane surfaces which are vertical (0 degrees) at the center of the vent cover with an increasing angle from vertical moving toward the outer ends of the vent cover, such as thirty degrees (30°) or more from vertical for the vanes which are furthest from the center. Vent covers of plastic with these variable angled vanes are also known.
It is also known to use an air flow regulator in combination with a vent cover to control the flow of air from a vent and through the regulator and vent cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,962 to Orendorff, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses an air flow regulator of the type which has louvers which pivot between closed and various open positions and which is supported beneath the vent cover.
Other vent assemblies with vent covers and air flow regulators are designed to have a sliding air flow regulator which is supported to slide relative to the vent cover. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,380 to Sarazen, Jr. et al. is understood to illustrate a construction in which a register or vent cover slidably receives a slide grill. The register defines a groove between the underside of vanes of the register and the upper surface of ridges formed in opposed sidewalls of the register. A handle, or tab, which can be integrally formed as part of the slide grill, extends upwardly in the space between two vanes of the cover so that it can be used to slide the grill.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,309 to Prager is understood to disclose an adjustable ventilator which has a vaned louver plate on one surface of a wall. A slidable plate assembly is located at the opposite side of the wall. The slidable plate assembly includes a cover having a plurality of openings which overlie a slide plate. Handles extend through slots in the cover and are used to slide the slide plate to selectively block or open the openings through the cover.
Although constructions of this type are known, a need exists for an improved vent cover and vent assembly.